Day 16 - 9/20 - Mt. Rainier and the National Park

The weather forecast for today was less than promising. Since we’re not able to order the weather we want when we want it, we just have to go with the flow. Such was the situation for today’s visit to Mount Rainier. While we have always been aware of Mt. Rainier, we weren’t totally prepared for what we were to experience whether cool or warm, wet or dry, sunny or cloudy. Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands tall in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, it is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A. and is the beginning point for five rivers of significance. 

Gig Harbor, where we have spent the night while in the Seattle-Tacoma area, is several miles north and west of the National Park. We started out a little later than normal because it was rainy and cloudy. Getting to our intended destination took nearly two hours. We wanted to get to Paradise, the area on the south-central edge of the Park. To get there we entered through Nisqually which is on the southwest corner. (MoRa, as the stickers denote, has four entry points.) It seemed to get worse as the day went on.

Entrances into Mount Rainier National Park are near the

corners of the park boundary. We entered from the

southwest at Nisqually.

Martha had done a little preparation for our visit and knew that our first stop would be Longmire and a visit to the small museum there. By small, we’re talking a cabin that was 16' x 24' or so. It was the first ranger office at the Park. Longmire serves as a small and permanent community for employees and also has other amenities for park visitors (tourists).

Need fuel? Stop in at the Longmire service station. It is well-preserved

though no longer operational.

The original headquarters building at Longmire has served

as a small museum for Mount Rainier.

From Longmire, we traveled toward Paradise and the Henry Jackson Visitor Center. We had packed a picnic lunch, but at the 5,400-foot elevation and cold, misting rain, we opted to picnic in the car! As we looped around to exit the picnic area, Martha spotted three deer grazing next to the roadway. So as not to scare them away, she inched the car closer to them so Byron could get a picture. 

A doe and two fawns were standing near the roadway. The spots

on the bodies of the fawns were nearly faded. Two types

of deer inhabit the Park; black-tailed and mule deer.

We arrived at the Visitor Center in Paradise. Though we had seen few cars on the road, we saw a nearly full parking lot. It was obvious that “this was the place” at which to be even on a cold, rainy day at 45° F. We always like to see the introductory videos so we watched the short, 20-minute film of the Park. It was quite informative and pointed out that Mt. Rainier, though the fifth National Park, was the first park that had been created with a careful plan in mind for use and maintenance. For instance, the structures that were developed became the standard for implementation in many of the other parks of the NPS. For sure, Paradise has its name for good reason because it offers the best of all there is to experience at Mount Rainier.

On this trip, we’re getting photos of every national park sign

and every presidential library we visit.

Byron was impressed at the multitude of perennial ferns that

grow wild and healthy in the Pacific Northwest.

Along one section of road, we captured some of the color

yet to be seen in Rainier even though it was September.

The relief map on display in the Jackson Visitor Center provides

and excellent overview of the terrain as well as the large

glaciers at Mt. Rainier.

Yep, a lot of snow falls at Paradise during the winter months. The short

growing season produces a rare amount of beauty that is easily reached.

As we were walking away from the Henry Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, we remarked to each other that we now have a good reason to return. The many glaciers, rivers, trails, variety of scenery, and weather developed here are truly amazing. Just think, we were only about one-third of the elevation of Rainier which is above 14,000 feet. More to see? Yes, indeed! Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forests surround Mount Rainier’s lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park’s ecosystems. A lifetime of discovery awaits and we were here only a few hours. The bucket list has not been shortened.

On the return to the RV resort in Gig Harbor, we stopped in Elbe for some huckleberry ice cream. Huckleberry flavoring is popular in the northern half of the Rocky Mountains.

This Shay-type locomotive sits on display next to Elbe’s train station

for Mount Rainier Railroad. Shays were frequently used in

mountainous logging areas. Designed for power and maneuverability,

they were not used in typical freight or passenger service.